NFL Player News

Walker took the 2020 season off due to COVID concerns and will be 37 years old by the time he takes the field for San Francisco should they sign him. He was only healthy for eight games in his final two seasons with the Titans. Walker is facing an uphill battle to return from football but if he can regain his form from the start of his tenure in Tennessee, he’ll be a valuable addition for the 49ers. He recorded four consecutive 800-yard seasons from 2014 to 2017. Walker would back up George Kittle but could also see a modest amount of work in 2TE sets.

This news comes after Worthy was carted from the field during Saturday’s practice. The third-year receiver is hoping to put last year’s disappointing season behind him when he caught just 42 passes for 432 yards and one touchdown while missing some time with a dislocated shoulder. Despite the early scare over the weekend, this recent injury doesn’t appear to be all too concerning.

Allen suffered a shin injury on Saturday after colliding with a teammate. What appeared to be a serious injury at first glance was later diagnosed as a bone bruise, and Allen was listed as day-to-day. The rookie fifth-rounder has made some impressive plays at camp early on and is looking like a solid depth player in the Chiefs’ wide receiver room.

Perhaps more notable is that Keim pointed out “other free agents don’t appear to be on their radar,” with Brandon Aiyuk presumably the “other” in this scenario. Diggs has long been linked to the Commanders as a potential fit, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last week that “Washington is intriguing” to Diggs, so there’s a good chance some mutual interest exists. The Commanders’ receiver room is headlined by Terry McLaurin, but behind him is an unproven group in Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, and rookie Antonio Williams. It feels like only a matter of time before the Commanders eventually make a move to upgrade their receiving corps, and Diggs would provide a solid option opposite McLaurin after going for 85-1,013-4 with the Patriots last season.

The injuries continue to mount for the 49ers early in camp. Evans is reportedly dealing with a quad strain that we will hopefully learn more about later, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) and Kaelon Black (adductor) are also missing Monday’s practice due to injuries. The recent string of injuries now makes for four receivers the Niners have seen go down in camp, with Christian Kirk (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) both being injured last week. We will check back in when we receive updates on the status of these players.

The preseason officially gets underway on Thursday when the Panthers and Cardinals kick things off for the annual Hall of Fame game. Pickett, who is expected to earn the backup job behind Bryce Young, will draw the start and should see significant playing time, with rookie Haynes King being the only other quarterback on the team who is expected to play.

When asked what his absence is about, Gibbs offered a thoughtful “I don’t know” and said “only time will tell” about when we could first see him on the field. Despite Gibbs saying his absence isn’t contract-related, multiple reports have suggested it is the main reason he hasn’t taken the field in training camp. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Gibbs remained sidelined until he either received a new deal or at least made major progress in negotiating a new deal. Rapoport also said that talks between Gibbs and the Lions are “not as active” as the ones going on between the Falcons and Bijan Robinson, who is also holding in while awaiting a new deal. We will continue to monitor both situations until they are resolved, but it doesn’t sound like Gibbs is anywhere close to returning to the field at this time.

Asked if the big-bodied Gordon would function as a short-yardage banger in 2026, Hafley said he would rather see Gordon “compete” to be an “every-down back.” “I think he’s capable of doing it,” Hafley added. “Ollie has flashed and knows what he’s doing. He has great speed, he has great size, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield too.” Hafley also complimented Gordon’s pass blocking. Gordon is coming off a disastrous rookie campaign in which he totaled 199 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries, good for 2.8 yards per rush. Gordon ranked 56th out of 65 qualifying backs in rushing success rate last year. He ranked 58th in missed tackles forced per rush. Gordon, an extremely productive college rusher, will compete with Jaylen Wright for RB2 duties behind De’Von Achane this month.

We are still waiting for more details on this one, but according to reporters who were at the field, Bryant could be seen grabbing at his left knee as he made his way off the field. The 27-year-old safety signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Bears this offseason after spending the previous four seasons with the Seahawks. Bryant totaled 66 tackles and four interceptions with the Seahawks last season and is expected to see a significant role for the defense this season. We will check back in when we learn more about Bryant’s injury.

The drumbeat continues to grow louder for Likely, who has been rumored multiple times throughout the offseason as the player the team was planning to feature. In June, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan said Likely was Jaxson Dart’s “favorite target” in practice, so this latest piece of news hardly comes as a surprise. According to Hughes, Likely has “displayed clear early chemistry with Dart” in training camp, and the 26-year-old tight end “appears to be the No. 2 option behind Nabers.” Currently going around the 10th round in fantasy drafts, Likely could emerge as a solid late-round option for fantasy managers who pass on the elite tight end options early in drafts.

According to Hughes, Skattebo is “the first up in almost every running drill,” and he has also handled the majority of carries in practice. While it’s certainly an encouraging sign for Skattebo’s usage, Hughes also notes that the preferred options in the passing game are Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary. If the Giants were to dial back Skattebo’s role in the receiving game, it could deal a bit of a blow to his fantasy stock. He was on a 17-game pace to catch 51 passes last season, and his work in the passing game made up 43.7 percent of his fantasy scoring in PPR leagues last year. Skattebo’s role as an early-down grinder and goal-line back should be more than enough to satisfy fantasy managers this season, but a reduced role in the passing game would put a bit of a cap on his ceiling.